How to Become a Flight Nanny: Jobs, Salary & Requirements

While most drivers on the CitizenShipper website transport pets by car, a growing number of flight crew personnel and regular fliers are bidding on long-distance pet delivery jobs as flight nannies, also known as air nannies. As they like to call themselves, these “flight nannies” are making good money by flying pets to their destinations.

Plus, with the summer months approaching, many airlines have a heat embargo that restricts you from shipping your pet in cargo. If the ground temperature is more than 85 degrees Fahrenheit or less than 20 degrees Fahrenheit, you won’t be able to transport a large pet in cargo.

Hiring an air nanny is a better option. You can also consider ground transportation to avoid the heat embargo. It’s safer and more humane to transport your pet on the ground than via a plane in the cargo hold. It’s also more reliable because you won’t be dependent on weather conditions to transport your pet.

Flight nannies earn $350-$1,300 per trip flying pets in airplane cabins for families and breeders. CitizenShipper connects pet flight nannies with customers needing to transport puppies, kittens, and small dogs under 20 pounds. The average flight nanny makes $37,000-$58,000 annually, according to ZipRecruiter data.

What Does a Flight Nanny Do?

Every day, thousands upon thousands of people welcome a new member of their family — often a puppy or a kitten. But breeders can be separated from buyers by hundreds or thousands of miles. So they need reliable transporters able to fly the pet out to their new home quickly and safely.

When you take a flight nanny job, you’re tasked with meeting the breeder at an airport and taking charge of the pet they’re looking to transport. You fly the furball, right next to you in the cabin. The new owners welcome you at the Arrivals terminal, and you make the delivery. Simple enough, right?

But keep in mind that becoming an air nanny for pets isn’t just a tremendous source of supplemental income, potentially earning $2,000-4,000 monthly working part-time. This job requires patience with animals and attention to their needs during flights. Each animal you fly over is someone’s precious pet, a living thing with its own needs and wants.

When you become an air nanny, it’s unlike any other job in transport — it’s not about moving crates and luggage. Instead, it’s about providing safety, speed and reliability, connecting to the animals and their owners on a human level. And that, of course, is why it pays so well!

How Much Do Flight Nannies Make? (Salary & Costs)

When it comes to families buying pets from faraway breeders, money is rarely the primary concern. All they want is for their new family member to be delivered to them safe and sound.

Fees range from $350 for flights under 3 hours to $1,300 for cross-country trips. An established puppy nanny delivery service can charge a lot more than someone who’s just starting. But the thing is, successful flight nannies have ways of keeping expenses low! Some airlines offer special discounts to frequent fliers. If you can work out a deal that minimizes the cost, you’ll yield tremendous benefits in the long run.

Some flight nannies are employed by the puppy breeders, while others work independently. Either way, there’s a lot of money to be made. If you don’t cut in too many third parties, you get to keep a larger portion of it. And we know that staying independent is often difficult for a new puppy nanny service, but there are ways to pull it off.

Ready to earn $350-1,300 per flight? Register free as a flight nanny.

Flight Nannies and CitizenShipper

By now, you’re probably curious about starting your own puppy air nanny service. You might be wondering where those well-paying customers come in? Well, if you’re not hired by a breeder who’s already got them lined up, you’ll have to find customers yourself. The easiest way to do it is by browsing through an online marketplace.

At CitizenShipper, a pet transportation marketplace founded in 2008, for example, new pet transportation jobs are posted daily. You get to pick the ones you’re interested in, and the hours you work. This way, you can hold down your regular job while picking air nanny jobs.

Cats and dogs are prevalent on our platform – the demand keeps growing. While most customers are looking for ground-based transportation since air travel is costly, it’s up to you to change that. Bidding on long-distance pet shipments, you can get in touch with potential customers and explain how things stand. Let them know that flying is faster and less stressful for animals. Tell them about the great deal that you can offer. Tell them how much you enjoy flying with and taking care of animals.

When you want to become an air nanny, the process is simple and free of charge. So if you think that an air transport job might be right for you, give it a shot. In a matter of minutes, you’ll be bidding on shipments and chatting with customers.

Shipper Responsibilities

We get a lot of questions about puppy nanny shipping services. So here are some of the answers we provide and a few things you should make sure your customer understands.

• Pets flying on planes must be able to qualify as carry-on luggage. Most flight nannies transport cats, young puppies or small dogs (15-20 lbs).
• By law, puppies must be at least 8 weeks old to fly. However, some airlines have increased this age requirement to 16 weeks.
• Each animal must have a certificate of health issued by a licensed veterinarian. Also, all vaccination certificates must be up to date.
• As per airline regulations, pet documentation might also be required.
• Pet food must be supplied by the owner for the duration of the trip.
• Pet bedding and potty pads must be provided, although carrier crates are typically the flight nanny’s responsibility.
• The pet must be socialized and leash-trained to a reasonable degree.
• If an air nanny needs to fly over multiple pets, asking a friend or family member to tag along is common practice.
• The flight nanny and the customer negotiate the cost of transport in advance. Flight nannies set their own rates based on flight duration. Short flights under 3 hours typically pay $350-500. Cross-country flights pay $800-1,300.

Finally, here’s a quote from one air nanny using the CitizenShipper platform. To all those looking to make supplemental income as a flight nanny, she advises the following:

“Be prepared with toys, small amounts of food and water, calming treats or sprays, and a positive attitude. Not all dogs or cats are familiar with air travel, so you have to have patience and be able to relax them if they are feeling uneasy.”

New CDC Rule

The CDC has recently passed new laws concerning flying with pets. These new rules are intended to limit the exposure of rabies in the United States. Due to these new rules, American Airlines has decided to embargo pets from flying into the United States from countries or territories considered “high risk” for rabies or if the pet has been in a high-risk location within the past six months.

Interested in How to Become an Air Nanny?

If you love flying and taking care of animals, give pet nanny shipping a try. Sign up as a transporter today, and take advantage of all that the CitizenShipper marketplace has to offer.

We have articles that take you through the platform step by step, explaining how to create a profile and market your puppy flight nanny service. Learn from shared experiences in our community of pet transporters. And if you ever run into trouble, help is just a click away!

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